|
Summary in English
It`s
an old town, but only the church is from the time of foundation. Most of
the houses here are from the 19th century. Many big fires
have destroyed the town in old times, three times as an act of war, four
times as accidents. Once
Oregrund was an important sea port. The eastern part of the province of
Uppland, Roslagen, as this part of Sweden is named, was not only the
home of the Swedish vikings, but a country of iron too. Here were many
mines and ironworks situated, and the skippers of Oregrund had many years the
exclusive right to transport the finest iron of the world to Stockholm,
and from Stockholm most of it was exported to Sheffield and other towns in England. However, in the 18th century Oregrund lost this
right, but the ships of the town sailed for the ports of the Baltic and
many sailors were hired for service on ships from other towns and sailed
everywhere on the seven seas. As
a fact Oregrund was a town of seamen
in old times. Practically all men
got their living of the sea, most of them as sailors, some as pilots or
– later – as crews of the lighting ships. However, times change, and
the old shipping lane is today not much used. Today navigate most ships
far out on the sea from the coast, but from time to time some sea going
tug or freighter are visiting the harbour. The
russians destroyed the town 1719 and a big fire 1829 laid most of the
central part of the town in ashes. However, many houses are from the 19th
century, small wooden houses with well kept gardens. Today
is Oregrund something of a sleeping idyll, especially in the time of
winter. Everything changes in the summer season. Tourists are arriving
with cars and boats and the harbour area is bursting with activity.
Visitors are looking on the boats in the harbour or visiting some restaurant with sea view – it`s a lot of them. Why
not try a little walk in the town? The old church of Saint Gertrud is
dominating the town. The church has no church tower, only a bell tower
situated on a hill not far from the church. Inside you will have a view of two
ship models from the 18th century, a frigate and a corvette,
thanksgiving gifts from sea captains. A rather unusual sight is an
embroidery, a needlework of a young girl 1785, used as cover of the
chalk. The
homestead museum is situated not far from the bell tower. Once it was
the home of a sea captain, now you will find a big collection of
exhibitions there. Here you will find a highly interesting maritime
museum too with ship models and nautica. Oregrund
was for a long time a very popular spa. Of course the clean air and the
sea was a very good base for a health resort, but the spa of Oregrund
could offer a lot of medical baths too. A memory of that time is the
Societetshuset, built 1892, situated in a beautiful garden just at the
sea. In modern words it was the club house of the guests. Here could the
visitors of the spa pop in for a cup of tea, for a looking in daily
papers, have a chat with other guests a s o. The
view of the open sea from the Societetshuset is magnificient. On
the other side of the strait is Gräsön, one of the biggest islands of the archipelago. Just
at the entrance of the harbour you may have a look of
a very unusual monument, a lighting ship situated on a cliff. It
is the tower and deckhouse of the old lighting ship Västra Banken, a
memory of the time when many seamen from Oregrund acted as members of
the lightships crews. The
eastern part of the town is named Skaten and was in old times the
homestead of the seamen, fishers and a few sea captains. Many houses
here are from the 18th century, small wooden houses with
small but beautiful gardens. Not far from the road to the ferry ship is
a big red building situated. For many years ago it was owned of a sea
captain. Look at the chimneys. One is red, the other green. He used port
and starboard still when he was dwelling in his house. Many
hundred yachts and motorboats are visiting the harbour of Oregrund every
summer. It is a very popular guest harbour and from time to time you
will find boats here flying the flag of Finland or Germany. If
you are looking for more information about the archipelago of Oregrund,
visiting harbours and so on, please visit the portal archipelago.com.
You will find information there in English too.
|
oday
Oregrund is a popular sea resort at the northen end of the big archipelago of
the Swedish eastern coast. However, it is an old town, founded in the
year of 1491, the same year as Christoforo Columbo went for America.
